User Grouping for Sum-rate Maximization in Multiuser Multibeam Satellite Communications

Aiming at maximizing the sum-rate of multiuser multibeam satellite communications, user grouping algorithms are studied. Different users are divided into several groups, where the users in the same group are simultaneously served by the satellite via space division multiple access (SDMA) and different groups of users are served in different time slots via time division multiple access (TDMA). A sum-rate maximization user grouping (SMUG) algorithm is proposed. Given the number of total time slots, the SMUG algorithm sequentially selects users one by one from the candidate users to maximize the current sum-rate and to guarantee the increase of sum-rate in each time slot. Simulation results verify the effectiveness of our work and show that the proposed SMUG algorithm outperforms the existing algorithms.